Researchers are hoping volunteers who’ve recovered from COVID-19 in recent months will provide vital clues about the way the virus interacts with diabetes.

The University of Queensland’s Dr Kirsty Short said diabetes was emerging as an important factor in the severity of disease for people suffering from COVID-19, though why this may be was not well understood.

“We’re looking for diabetics and people without diabetes to take part in a study,” Dr Short said.

“This will help us compare how diabetes changes COVID-19 response – we want to know if the disease alters the duration and severity of COVID-19.

“And we’re also hoping to identify future immunity to the virus – SARS-CoV-2 – that causes COVID-19.”

The research team will analyse antibodies in volunteers, who will be required to donate their time, blood and urine samples.

“Antibodies are a sign that your body has fought, or is fighting, an infection,” Dr Short said.

“They’re specific for particular viruses and although they last in your blood for some time, we’re unsure at this stage if, after six months, they exist anymore.”

Study collaborator Dr Helen Barrett from Mater Research said since science did not know how long-lived antibodies for COVID-19 were in people with or without diabetes, public participation was critical in helping identify a timeframe.

“As well as discovering how long these antibodies last, we hope that this research will shed some real light on how to help those already diagnosed with diabetes, to ensure the risk of COVID-19 diagnosis is low in the near future.”

Dr Short and Dr Barrett are also interested in how underlying conditions, such as cardiovascular health and diabetes, can impact the duration and severity of the illness.

As part of the study, the team will conduct standard blood tests – commonly done for patients with diabetes – while also looking at other markers of cardiovascular health.

Participants need to be in the greater Brisbane area.

To find out how you can participate, please contact the team by email at Covid.DiabetesStudy@mater.org.au.

Image above left (L-R): Dr Kirsty Short and Dr Helen Barrett

Media: Dr Kirsty Short, k.short@uq.edu.au; Dominic Jarvis, dominic.jarvis@uq.edu.au, +61 413 334 924.